Multiple Injured as Rough Air Hits A Delta Airlines Plane into Sydney

Several people were hurt after a Delta Airlines aircraft traveling from Los Angeles to Sydney was hit by significant turbulence Friday morning.

The flight, numbered 41 "experienced a brief period of turbulence" as it made its approach and landed at the Sydney airport, a company official told. Four flight attendants sustained injuries.

Local paramedics reported they treated five patients, and transported a trio to hospital with relatively minor issues that comprised pain in the back and migraines. The patients' ages were between their 30s up to the 70s.

The event represents the latest incident of aircraft experiencing severe turbulence, with researchers pointing out that global warming is a significant contributor.

There were 245 people and fifteen staff members on the Airbus A350, the representative added, adding that the plane landed "safely and normally" at the airport at shortly before 7 a.m. on Friday morning.

Emergency responders said they were alerted just only 180 seconds prior to the plane touched down, and ambulances were standing by on the runway.

The reasons turbulence is growing more common - and potentially more dangerous.

Last year, twenty-five passengers and crew were hurt when another Delta jet, on a route from Salt Lake City, Utah to Amsterdam, Netherlands, encountered "considerable" rough air just two hours into the long-haul flight, and had to make an precautionary landing.

Earlier this year, those on board on a Singapore Airlines jet went through a frightening brief five-second bout of severe turbulence. One passenger died and dozens were injured, as those without seatbelts rose out of their seats and crashed back down.

In-flight turbulence is a common occurrence on aircraft journeys, and while occurrences of significant turbulence are reportedly becoming more frequent, they are remained quite uncommon.

Research indicates that there are around 5,000 incidents of significant in-flight disturbance every year, out of a sum of in excess of 35 million journeys that currently occur globally.

Strong atmospheric disturbance is categorized as when the up and down movements of a jet going through disturbed air apply more than 1.5 times the force of gravity on your body - a strong enough force to propel you from your seat if you weren't wearing a safety belt.

As global warming alters weather patterns, specialists caution that flying could become less smooth: shifts in temperature and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are likely to boost the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.